The Cure
by Luckyshiori
Summary: When Sora moved to Hollow Bastion for a fresh start, the last thing he expected was his life to spiral out beyond his control. But when he starts reliving pieces of memories from a life that isn't quite his, and a silver-haired man starts to constantly plague his dreams, all he can do to keep up in this dangerous new city is hunt for the answers that no one is willing to tell. [RS]


**Disclaimer:** I regrettably do not own Kingdom Hearts (if I did I'd be rich as facccck), that right belongs to Disney and Square Enix. I just love to write about the amazing characters, settings, and storyline of this wonderful game.

**A/N: **I've had the plot for this fan fiction in my head for **YEARS** and I just recently started re-playing the KH series while also re-watching Advent Children and BAM LIKE MAGIC I was inspired to finally write it out. I want to pour my heart into writing this for anyone who wants to read it, and I don't want to write the typical wham bam thank you mam yaoi sexy time fanfic (not that there is anything wrong with those) but I really want to portray believable characters, and really give you an idea of the struggle and joy the characters are going through when they feel emotions such as misery, love, hatred, longing, agony, etc. I want you to _feel _for them. Constructive criticism is very much appreciated. FYI: Most chapters will most likely not be this long, as this is a pretty long introductory chapter, with both the prologue and chapter one included together. Enjoy. :)

* * *

_The Cure_

_Prologue_

"_Sometimes you have to be strong, even if you feel like giving up. You'll be okay, Sora. You have Ventus, you have your friends, and Roxas is looking down, watching after you. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength, then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you," _

Sora sighed dejectedly as he peered out one of the many large paneled windows that made up the second story floor of the small local airport. It was raining quite heavily, a rarity for the normally hot and humid Destiny Islands. The steady downpour outside beat against the roof and windows, its rhythm almost soft and melodic.

"There must be a storm coming in tonight..." Sora muttered quietly to himself as he reached into his blue backpack, his carry on bag of choice, and fumbled around for his cell phone for about the third time in the last ten minutes. The brightly light screen read 5:10. His plane was scheduled to leave at 5:30 in the morning, and the long flight to Hollow Bastion was about four hours long.

It was almost time to leave.

To say that he was anxious to leave home was an understatement. He didn't particularly _want_ to leave. Sora loved Destiny Islands. He loved the warm sand, the crystal blue waters, the friendly islanders. It was his home, and for Sora, home was comfort. But he was eighteen years old now, a college boy, and even though he was nervous, he knew it was time to leave the sanctuary that Destiny Islands offered him. After Ven left for college, he would always come back to visit every summer, and he'd always tell Sora, "Home is comfort, but life _begins_ at the end of your comfort zone. You can't stay on this little island forever! So start living more, you big goof!"

Sora smiled fondly at the memory. He definitely missed the guidance his brother offered him, always willing to lend an ear about whatever was troubling him, or give advice to him whenever Sora needed it. That was one of the things Sora loved about the blonde, he was always there for him when he needed him, and was even there when he didn't. Ven was there when their father died, he was there when Roxas died, and he was here for him even now, when the ache from his mothers passing was still eating away at him. Now that it was just him and Ven left in their damaged little family, it only seemed appropriate for Sora to move closer to his older brother. This place held to many painful memories for him, anyway.

Sora didn't have anything left for him on the beautiful little island. All of his friends, Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, and even Selphie (who seemed the most reluctant to leave), had already left for the mainland for college in the summer. Most of the high school graduates from Destiny Islands left the island after finishing up their senior year, seeing as how their small island didn't have a college campus to attend to further their education. It was a small problem for the community of the island, specifically if they were on the poorer side and could not afford to send their children to the mainland for schooling. His mother barely even managed to send Ven off to Hollow Bastion University, one of the more prominent college campuses in the city. He didn't think that she had the money to send both of them to college, but she selflessly left him enough money in her will to cover his tuition and living expenses.

A certain sadness came over him and he nibbled away at his lip, feeling almost guilty.

After all that had happened this year, it was hard to move on and leave his childhood home behind but Sora knew it was what his mother would have wanted.

His heart _lurched_ when he thought about her, and he sucked in a sharp breath. The wound was still fresh.

All he ever wanted to do was make her proud, to make her happy to call him her son. Sora knew she wanted him to go to college, find happiness, and live a good life, as most mothers wanted for their children. Her sudden death this year had taken a large toll on both him and his brother, but they were no strangers to the pain of loss, especially the loss of a family member.

The death of his mother had been the hardest for him to deal with out of all the tragedies in his life. Sora always had a special bond with her, earning him the title of "Mama's boy," from his brothers when they were younger. It was still hard for him to believe she was really gone.

The first in his family to meet with an early death had been his father, whom Ven remembered more than Sora because he passed away when Sora was only nine years old, and then just only three years later it was his other brother Roxas, who was in a terrible car crash that took their small island community by complete shock. And finally, from the same disease that claimed his father's life, his mother Amaya had passed away just this March. It was only a month before his eighteenth birthday. It was the worst birthday he _ever_ had.

Happy birthday, Sora. Your mother's dead.

"_I'm sorry boys, but I'm afraid there isn't anything further we can do for her. Her immune system is completely shutting down and can no longer fight off the Geostigma. She's absolutely exhausted, but we've tried to make her as comfortable as possible. We believe she is going to pass very soon, most likely tonight, so I would recommend telling her your goodbyes,"_

_The doctor gave an apologetic look to the two boys sitting next to their dying mother in the small, cream-colored hospital room. He quietly walked over to the door and closed it, giving them some alone time with her. A soft click was heard and he was gone._

_Sora jumped out of his chair and fell halfway onto the hospital bed, desperately clutching his mothers cold hand, silent sobs wracking his body. How could this have happened?_

_He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked over to see Ven giving him a pained look, tears streaming quietly down his face. Ven locked his hand over both Sora's and his mother's hands and gave them both a reassuring squeeze. _

"_It's going to be alright," Ven's voice cracked from behind him, sounding anything but alright._

_That was Ven. Always the comforter, always the big brother. But not even he could hide his pain at the image of their beautiful mother looking at them with hazy, partly opened eyes, barely breathing through her oxygen mask, with multiple bandages covering her frail tanned arms and hiding the __blackened wounds underneath from eyesight._

"_Mom, please no..." Sora cried into the sheets of her bed, "I need you...we need you! This can't be happening. This isn't happening," He whispered to himself in disbelief, clutching her hand tighter._

_Ven, feeling Sora's grip tighten, immediately snapped out of his own grief, concerned for his mother._

"_Sora, I know you're hurting right now, but you need to be more gentle_—_"_

"_Boys, I need you to listen to me," Amaya spoke softly, calmly, and the sound of her voice against the quiet room immediately shut down any words that the brothers were going to speak to one another._

"_Everything is going to be okay. You are both so brave, and I love you both so much. I know things will be harder from here on out, but you can't give up," She spoke carefully, as if every word she spoke took an immense amount of energy to get past her lips._

"_Ventus," She spoke suddenly._

_Ven straightened up at hearing his name being called, and listened intently to what his mother was about to say._

"_I want you to look after Sora, please. You've been such a good brother over the years, and I know you will succeed in anything you set your mind to. I believe in you, sweetie, and no matter what happens, I want you to watch after your younger brother, because he needs you. And Sora—"_

_She coughed violently, interrupting her speech as her tiny body shook with the abrupt movement._

_Sora lifted his head up in from his mothers hands, a concerned look forming on his face from her horrible coughing. He looked up at her appearance, staring at her long brown curly hair, into her mesmerizing blue eyes. He looked so much like her, they were definitely mother and son._

**This isn't happening.**

_She looked at her youngest son, and something flashed beyond her eyes that Sora did not understand. She managed a small smile._

"_Sometimes you have to be strong, even if you feel like giving up. You'll be okay, Sora. You have Ventus, you have your friends, and Roxas is looking down, watching after you. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength, then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hur—"_

"**Calling Passengers for flight 205. Destiny Island to Hollow Bastion. Again, Calling Passengers for flight 205. Destiny Island to Hollow Bastion. Flight is now boarding,"**

Sora snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the woman's voice over the intercom that reverberated throughout the airport. He looked around to see many of the other passengers that were sitting in the waiting room with him since this morning gathering their belongings with their tickets in hand, walking towards the boarding station.

Sora took in a deep breath, shakily swinging his backpack over his right shoulder and slowly started walking towards the newly forming line of people waiting to board the plane.

_I've got to be strong for her...I know I can do this._

"Ticket please, sir?" The woman at the boarding station said to Sora as he neared the head of the line.

"Oh! Right!" Sora said, not noticing how quickly the line had moved forward.

He clumsily reached into his back pocket and pulled out his boarding ticket, handing it over to the woman sheepishly.

"Oh, lucky you, you've got a window seat towards the front of the plane," The woman said to him kindly, tearing off part of the ticket and handing it back to him with a smile.

"That's great! Thank you," Sora smiled back at her, taking the ticket and putting it back in his pocket before walking into the tunnel that lead to the entrance of the small plane that he would be traveling in for the next four hours. The woman's kindness made him feel a bit less on edge about leaving home. That was Destiny Islands for you, if someone wasn't grinning at you or waving at you from across the way, then you knew there had to be something wrong with them. He was going to miss it here, he doubted people in the big city had the same cheery attitude.

Sora finally reached his assigned row of seats and put his backpack away in the top storage compartment above the comfy row of small recliners. The plane was pretty empty, but he was one of the first few passengers let on board. He scooted towards the window side of his row and sat down, trying to calm himself for the flight. He turned around in his seat curiously to look at all the empty spots slowly starting to fill up, and before he knew it, almost the entire plane was full.

It was stuffy, to say the least.

He pulled out his cell phone again to check how much time he had before they took off and it read 5:30.

_Shoot! Ven told me to text him before I boarded the plane. Oops!_

A small tap on his shoulder and he looked up to see a huffy stewardess crossing her arms and giving him the evil eye.

"Sir, we have to ask that you turn your cellphone off until the designated signals tell you other wise, because we are going to be taking off momentarily,"

"Right, I am so sorry, I've never ridden on a plane before so I, um, I didn't really...know...ah, okay, so I'll turn it off..."

She made a small _tsk _noise before making her way down the plane, checking the rest of the passengers.

Sora looked around to see majority of the eyes on the plane directed towards him from the scene he caused, and he quickly sent Ven a hurried text message telling him he had already boarded the plane and was waiting to take off. He turned off his cell phone and shoved it in his pocket before sliding down his seat in embarrassment and gripping his armrest in nervousness for the take off.

One panic attack and ten minutes later, and they were in the air.

Sora looked out the small window next to him and looked at down at his home, at how beautiful and green it looked from above despite the blurriness of the rain drumming against the circular windows of the plane. He kept looking until Destiny Islands was smaller and smaller and farther away. He pushed his head up against the glass so close that he was receiving questioning looks from the other passengers sitting next to him, but for once, he didn't care. Sora peered out the window until his little island was just a tiny speck of land below the plane, knowing fully well that this would be the last time he would see it for a long while.

And when his home disappeared from his view through the glass completely, he looked on for a long while after, staring at where it should have been and missing the space it took up.

* * *

Chapter One

Unfamiliar Territory

"Ven, can you PLEASE slow down a little bit!?" Sora practically screamed over the sound of the wind rushing past the open windows of the car.

He gripped onto the handle hanging above the passenger seat for dear life, his knuckles turning white from his tight grip. He looked behind him towards the backseat and saw that most of his luggage that didn't fit in the trunk was being flung in all directions, much like his hair, and when Ven made a sharp right turn, he bumped his head against the door.

"Ouch! Ven seriously, you're going like sixty-five in a forty zone!"

"Sora, I've been driving in this city for the past three years, I think I know my way around. Stop being such a girl and relax!" Ven laughed at him over the wind.

Sora had barely been in this city for a few hours and he was already fearing for his life. When had Ven turned into such a speed demon?

Ven, sensing his brothers discomfort, decided to give the younger brunette a break and finally slowed down to a reasonable speed, rolling up the windows and successfully blocking the chilly air from outside. Sora let out a loud sigh of relief and let himself relax into the seat, which drew a lighthearted laugh from his brother.

"We're going to be a little late to the interview, but it's alright. Cid shouldn't yell at us too much...I have to warn you though, Cid's a little...rough around the edges. Not really the kind of person you're used to, but he's nice enough," Ven told Sora honestly as he reached towards the radio and flipped it on.

"As long as I have a chance for a job, I'll be okay. I can't thank you enough for this, Ven. I wouldn't even know where to start looking for a job here, Hollow Bastion is _massive_. I've never seen so many tall buildings in one place," Sora thanked his brother, curiously looking outside at all the buildings and people they were passing by in his brother's red Toyota Corolla.

"Well, technically the place is in Traverse Town, right on the outskirts of where Hollow Bastion and Traverse Town meet, to be precise. And you wouldn't even need a job if you would have just agreed to move in with me. Mom told me to take care of you, so that's what I'm going to do. This city takes some getting used to coming from a place like Destiny Islands, It's a completely different world out here, Sora," Ven told his brother knowingly, shooting him a worried look.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay on my own. I just need a little help to get me started. Mom's savings has helped a lot, especially with getting the apartment and my tuition, and specifically since you wont take your half of it," Sora stated accusingly, giving the blonde a pointed look.

"Don't give me that look, you need the money more than I do, little brother. By the way, we'll be in Traverse Town in like two minutes, so get ready, okay?"

Sora puffed up in his seat at hearing that and began to psyche himself into job interview mode.

_Okay! Confident! Professional! Pretend like you know what you're doing! _Sora thought to himself nervously. He began straightening his clothes out to avoid looking frumpy, all he was wearing was his snug blue jeans, his favorite red converse, a grey cardigan and a white t-shirt underneath. Nothing fancy. Ven mentioned that the cafe he was being interviewed for was very casual and laid back, so that was the look he went for.

Ven took a look at his little brother and chuckled at his obvious nervousness before taking another sharp right and pulling into a parking lot with quite a few other cars parked outside. He found a parking spot up front, closest to the building and turned the car off.

"Perfect! Alright, let's go," Ven chirped happily.

The building residing before them appeared to be old. _Very_ old. It was a small, rundown two-story building that was an off shade of beige, with breakage appearing across the paint on the outside walls. There was a large sign at the very top that read "Crossroads Cafe and Bar," in big bolded lettering.

All that went through Sora's mind was, _This is the place I'm getting a job at?_

As they entered the café, walking through the entrance and past the outside umbrella clad tables, Sora could see that it was moderately busy inside. There were servers running around taking orders from their assigned tables and booths, and many other employees bringing out various drinks and dishes to their customers.

Amidst the sounds of plates and silverware clinking together and the conversations of the guests filling the air, Sora could make out soft rock being played throughout the restaurant through the speakers mounted up against the wooden walls, and the sweet aroma in the air smelt of coffee and warm cuisine being cooked. It was an entirely different setting from the outside, and although the interior design of the restaurant was a bit old-fashioned, it's ambiance was somehow upbeat and trendy. Sora liked it.

The brothers waited patiently (or at least Ven did, with Sora fidgeting and eying around the restaurant nervously) at the front for a few minutes before one of the servers, a short girl with a dark brown bob cut, came bouncing up to them.

"Hey Ven! And oh, you must be the brother blondie's been chatting about. It's nice to finally meet you! I'm the great waitress, Yuffie!" The girl spoke with a cheerful grin.

"Hey there, I'm Sora," He greeted the girl, amazed at how someone who was so small could have so much energy this early in the morning. She reminded him vaguely of Selphie.

"Well, what can I help you two with? Need a table?" Yuffie gestured to a couple of open tables behind her.

"Thanks Yuffie, but we're actually here to see Cid. You know, for the job interview I told you about?" Ven said to her easily.

"Oh, now might not be the best time. He's currently upstairs in the bar yelling at a customer again. Apparently some guy made a lewd remark to Tifa, and well, you know her, she practically had the guy at his throat. Major drama," Yuffie gossiped to them with an amused smirk on her face.

"Well if he's not in a good mood then maybe we should come back at a better time then...?" Sora trailed off slowly, giving Ven a strained get-me-out-of-here-_now_ look.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sora. He'll be fine_. _Yeah, he's a little foul-mouthed and has a bit of a temper, but he's not gonna _bite_ you," Ven laughed as he flicked Sora on the forehead, earning a glare from the younger brunette.

"HA! That geezer wouldn't hurt a fly, much less a cute little kid like you," Yuffie laughed easily at Sora's expression.

"And who exactly are you callin' a geezer, you half-assed ninja!" A masculine voice broke out from behind them, and Yuffie turned around, immediately annoyed.

Sora turned around to the source of the voice and looked to see a middle-aged man with blonde hair and blue eyes, walking down the stairs to the left of them, with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"Who are you calling a half-assed ninja, you old man!" She retorted back, angrily throwing her arms to her sides.

"I ain't paying you twelve dollars an hour to stand around chatting it up with customers, and I ain't an old man, barely even fuckin' forty-five years old. Now get back to work!" Cid spoke, obviously aggravated from the events earlier.

"Tch. Whatever," The dark brown-haired girl spoke, sassily crossing her arms and walking, more like _marching_, back towards her tables.

"Damn that girl, always tryin' to pick a fight. To damn spunky for her own good," Cid muttered under his breath. He looked down at the two brothers standing awkwardly in front of him from the events that just transpired. He let out an annoyed sigh.

"And you must be Ven's little runt of a brother, right?" He spoke roughly to the brunette fidgeting in front of him.

"Um, yeah. I'm here for the job_—"_

"I know damn well what you're here for, boy. You got any restaurant experience?" Cid questioned him inquiringly.

"Well, back in Destiny Island I worked at this smoothie place for about two years. I know how to make drinks and take orders, if that's what you're looking for?" Sora answered him honestly.

"Hn," Cid looked at him once more, giving him a scrutinizing stare as he looked Sora up and down. It was intimidating, to say the least. Sora felt like one of those butterflies pinned to a white board with everyone staring at him and leaving him wide open to inspection.

"Well, Yuffie seems to like him, and if all else fails, you can just use him as your errand boy," Ven chimed in to Cid, their eyes meeting for a few brief seconds as something knowing passed between the two of them.

_Ven. You aren't helping! _Sora thought rather agitatedly, as he shot Ven another glare, missing the look exchanged between the two older men entirely.

Cid muttered something to himself that Sora couldn't quite hear before letting out a loud howl of laughter as he shook his head and turned to the brunette. He placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, squeezing roughly.

_Is this guy crazy? _Sora pondered quizzically as he winced from the older man's harsh grip.

"Alright, well, we'll set you up at the coffee bar first to see how well you do. Four days a week, and you can send me your school schedule and we'll work out the days and times for you. Here's my number and the restaurants number," Cid spoke to Sora, tossing over a business card from his pocket that Sora lamely attempted to catch.

Cid raised an eyebrow as it slipped through the brunettes hands, quietly falling to the floor.

"If you don't completely fuck up, then maybe I'll think about moving you up to a server. You're hired, kid," Cid said to the boy, cracking out a small smile at how Sora immediately brightened up from his words.

"I won't disappoint you, so don't worry about me," Sora told him enthusiastically, his nervousness replaced by delight at the news that he was finally employed again, and disbelief that he was just hired on the spot.

"Kid, you can't be any worse than the rest of the lunatics I've hired here," Cid called out accusingly behind him, earning himself a glare from Yuffie and another server, a blonde man with a tattoo on the side of his face.

Sora laughed easily at that, feeling much more comfortable with the environment now than when he entered the restaurant. Things were finally starting to look up for him, a new job, a new city, a new life.

Ven smiled at his brothers obvious joy at having gotten the job, happy to see him smile again. Ever since their mother died, Sora hadn't quite been himself. Ven knew he was too absorbed in the pain of their mothers passing, but he was grateful to see his brother getting back to his old happy-go-lucky self.

"Before you two take off I need to have a word with you, Ven," Cid suddenly spoke very seriously, gesturing Ven over to his office, and breaking Sora out of his happy stupor.

Ven's smile fell as he shot Cid an intense stare. Or was it worried stare?

"I'll be right back, okay Sora?" Ven spoke to his brother a little uneasily, taking out his cell phone and texting someone quickly before hurrying after the older blonde.

Sora watched curiously as they both disappeared from his view from behind the door to Cid's office and he pondered about what they were talking about that was so private that they couldn't discuss in front of him.

_Weird...maybe it has something to do with me working here?_

About five minutes later, the door to Cid's office opened and Ven stepped outside, with a strange look on his face that Sora couldn't quite make out. Ven walked up to his younger brother, making his way through the restaurant, past the busy tables, completely missing Yuffie yelling him and Sora goodbye.

When he approached his brother, Ven looked extremely uncomfortable, like he had just been told that he only had ten days to live, or something horrible of that nature.

Ven, sensing Sora's worried look, quickly put on his signature grin and smiled at his younger brother, ruffling his hair and successfully messing up his spiky hair even _further _than it already was from the car ride.

"Ven, c'mon stop, don't mess up my hair! It took me like thirty minutes to get it to look like this," Sora called out to his brother, swatting the insistent hand away, his worry completely forgotten.

"To look like what? Your hair looks like a bird's nest. Lets go to the apartment already, we've still got a lot to do today," He called out, laughing easily at his brothers antics.

"Listen here you, it's not easy having gravity defying hair, specifically not when your brother purposely rolls down the windows to mess up your hair, all while driving like a complete maniac..."

The boys voices trailed off as they exited through the double wooden doors of the entrance, arguing all the way to the car. Unbeknownst to them, they were being carefully watched through the windows by two pairs of prying eyes from the second story floor of the restaurant.

"I can't believe that he's the one," A woman with jet black hair spoke incredulously, looking down at the two boys entering the red vehicle. She walked over to the glass, attempting to get a better look at the younger of the two siblings.

"Are you_ sure _he's the right one, Cid?" She insisted, eying the brunette with doubt.

"Of course I'm not damn sure, woman. We won't know for a while. We need to see how things play out," Cid told her, watching as the red car pulled out of the parking lot, heading out of Traverse Town towards Hollow Bastion.

"Why didn't you call me down to meet him? The bar has been practically dead today besides that perverted idiot you chased down the fire escape earlier," She said to the older man, sounding rather annoyed.

"You'll meet him eventually, Tifa. Quit yer bitchin', He's basically your co-worker now. I'm sure you'll see him almost everyday you work. Be patient, will ya?" Cid retorted back, lighting up a cigarette as he spoke.

"How can you ask me to be patient, when everyday that passes is a day we will _never _get back. We're running out of time!" Tifa spoke angrily at him, her reddish-brown irises meeting his blue ones in a stare down, emotions flashing across her eyes like fireworks across a dark sky.

Cid sighed before breaking away from her intense gaze and looking back outside the window, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"I know Tifa...I know,"

* * *

Sora was in shock.

Not the type of shock where you say oh-look-you-bought-me-a-puppy-on-Christmas-day kind of shock. Oh no, but as in a I-asked-my-brother-to-look-for-an-apartment-for-me -and-it's-an-utter-shithole type of shock.

If Sora thought Cid's place looked rundown, this place made it look like five-star eatery.

The building was about five stories high, made entirely of brick. The walls of the building were chipping away, probably due from age, and there was two bare trees located directly opposite from each other in front of the steps leading towards the entrance, twigs and dead leaves being strewn across the steps from the cold breeze in the air. A small red sign, directly in front of the building to left of the steps read, "Lillywood Apartments,"

"Well," Ven deadpanned, "Looks like it's got a lot of history, I'll give it that,"

"What!? You haven't even seen the building and you put mom's money down for this!?" Sora all but wailed at his older brother.

"Sora, this was the best I could do with the money mom left us. The pictures I saw online were a little..._different_, but the landlord I talked to said this place was the best I was going to get for the money I was willing to spend. Besides, this place is like ten minutes away from Traverse Town, which as I'm sure you are aware, is not the _best _area," Ven said defensively, carrying his brothers luggage up the concrete steps of the building, leaves crunching underfoot.

_I guess beggars can't be choosers... _Sora thought exasperatedly.

He sighed and promptly accepted his fate, following his brother up the crumbly steps of the apartment building while carrying the rest of his luggage on the way.

The inside of the building wasn't in much better shape than the outside was. The tile that covered the floor was a sickly white color, definitely a color that Sora did not feel like looking at everyday when he left for school or work, and the wallpaper was a gaudy pale color that reminded him faintly of vomit and peaches. Lovely.

"Come on slow poke, I'm holding the elevator for you!" Ven called out good naturally from across the building, "You'll have plenty of time to check out your charming new home later," He finished a bit sarcastically, holding in a snicker.

Sora made an annoyed noise as he hurried after his brother into the elevator. He saw his brother push the number three button on the control panel and with that, they were on their way to the third floor.

About a minute of cheesy elevator music later (with Sora dancing along and Ven putting his hand on his forehead in disbelief before muttering, "Are we really related?") and they arrived at their designated floor. The air on this floor was stale and smelt faintly of cigarettes. Sora made a disgusted gesture and wrinkled his nose and even Ven could not disagree with him as they made their way down the hall towards Sora's room.

Ven looked at his brothers expression with concern, watching him as he took in the surroundings of his new living arrangements. He worried that Sora wouldn't be happy with them.

"I know, the smell isn't the greatest, but I'm sure we can buy a couple of air fresheners or maybe some candles or something, and it'll freshen the place right up. It's all in what you make of it Sora. So don't worry, okay?" Ven told his brother kindly, earning a smile back from the brunette in return.

_Ven's right. He did this all for me, and I need to be more grateful to him. I can't worry him anymore, I just need to look at the positive side. At least I have a place to stay, even if it does smell questionable... _Sora resolved to himself quietly, following after the blonde while passing multiple apartment rooms.

"313, 314, and ah, here we are. Room 315. Sora, you should be the first to open it! I mean it's your first real place," Ven said excitedly, setting down the luggage in front of the door and tossing his brother the room keys.

Sora caught the keys, shooting his brother a confused look at his sudden giddiness for him to open the door. He fumbled with the keys, unlocked the door and opened it and then suddenly_—_

"**SURPRISE!"**

"Wah!" Sora screamed, startled as he fell back over the luggage Ven set down just moments prior, much to the amusement of his brother. The sheer volume from the amount of voices that shrieked at him took him completely by surprise. He heard loud, boisterous laughter along with howling giggles before he lifted his head up and looked into the room.

There stood Wakka, Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and a brunette girl who Sora did not quite recognize.

"No way!" Sora said excitedly as he scrambled to his feet and ran into the room, stopping just before his group of friends with a large grin plastered on his face.

"Eeeee! Sora, It's been too long. We've missed you!" Selphie said as she ran half-way to meet him, giving him a hug that almost tipped him over.

"I've missed you guys too, It's so great to see you all again," Sora said enthusiastically as he regained his balance and returned her hug.

"What's up Sora, you've been good, ya?" Wakka said to him lively, grinning at the bewildered yet ecstatic brunette.

"What are you guys doing here? I had absolutely no idea about this," Sora answered him, barely containing his happiness at seeing all his friends together in one place.

"This is our city too, you know. Where else would we be?" Tidus laughed at him, slapping him on the back.

Sora let out a laugh, shrugging his shoulders, "I guess you're right, I mean where else would you guys be besides in your own city?"

Tidus shrugged back at him, "I dunno, maybe secretly invading your apartment, organizing all your furniture and sprucing things up a bit to make it actually livable? This place was a _wreck_ when we first came here this morning,"

Sora's eyes widened as he took in his surroundings for the first time and held in a small gasp. The carpet underfoot was a cream color, and was completely_ clean._ The sable colored walls, while a little old with a couple of cracks here and there in the paint, were free of any stains or blemishes. All of his furniture from his mothers old house (that he had shipped over weeks prior) was rearranged neatly, right down to the picture of Sora and all his friends in their senior year of high school, framed neatly on the coffee table.

"You did this all for me?" Sora spoke quietly, almost in disbelief.

"Well, we had plenty of time to get it all done considering you two took forever to get here, you lazy bums! It's not very polite to keep a woman waiting on you, especially not your best friend," Kairi winked at Sora, a big smile forming across her lips.

"Kairi! It's been forever," Sora said as he ran over to the redhead, giving her a big bear hug and twirling her around the room.

"Ah! Hahaha, Sora! Put me down you big goof!" She giggled at him, tickling his arms so that he would let her go.

"Get a room, you two," Selphie teased lightly, giggling at Sora's antics.

Sora finally released her and let out a nervous laugh. He immediately turned red from all of his friends knowingly staring at the pair of them. It wasn't a secret that he was fond of Kairi. It started out as a little crush when they were younger, and as the years went on, playing with her, growing with her, and experiencing the trials of his teenage years with her had caused Sora to develop genuine feelings for the redhead.

_I've got to tell her eventually..._

Sora, snapping out of his Kairi infested thoughts, beamed at his new apartment. After leaving his friends in the living room and checking out the rest of the rooms(which only included a bedroom and bathroom, as it _was_ a cheap apartment) He came back out and saw his friends and Ven lounging around the couch chatting. He curiously looked over at the brunette girl sitting next to Tidus. She had mix matched blue and green eyes, and was practically hiding behind Tidus in shyness.

Tidus, noticing Sora's stare, introduced her, "This is Yuna. She goes to the same school as us. I met her at HBU'S orientation earlier this week. You know, the one that you missed?" Tidus said as he raised an eyebrow at Sora.

"I booked my flight kinda late and couldn't get any earlier..." The brunette said sheepishly.

"Anyway, she's new to the city, just like you. Isn't she a total babe?" Tidus nudged Yuna softly, laughing as her face turned a pretty shade of crimson.

Wakka shook his head at Tidus, "Stop embarrassing the poor girl, ya? She's already unfortunate enough at having to meet you. I know I am at least," He scolded him, earning giggles from Kairi and Selphie.

"Hey! I resent that. Just you wait, I'm gonna be a famous Blitzball player one day and you'll be begging for my autograph," Tidus retorted back.

"Um, hello, Tidus? Wakka got the same Blitzball scholarship that you did, I'd say it's pretty fair game," Selphie stated knowingly, watching as his expression fell.

Sora let out a chuckle as he looked at his two friends arguing over the aquatic sport and shook his head. Walking over to Yuna, he took his hand and placed it in front of her, "Nice to meet you, Yuna. I'm Sora," he said cheerfully.

Yuna let out a small smile and scooted away from the arguing boys next to her, shaking Sora's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," She spoke sweetly.

"Well," Ven chimed in behind Sora, holding up a plastic bag filled with what appeared to be drinks and food. "Now that we're all antiquated, let's get this luggage all packed up and celebrate!"

Sora tilted his head to the side, looking curiously at the bag, "What's all that stuff for?" He questioned his brother.

"Sora, you have to be the most dense person I've ever known," He said teasingly, knocking on Sora's head and saying, "Hello, anyone in there? It's for US!"

"Does it really surprised you anymore, Ven? I mean you're his brother. I've been friends with him since we were little kids and it _still _amazes me. Dense as a rock," Kairi chimed in, amused at Sora's pout.

"Hey, not true!" Sora cried out at them as the rest of his friends laughed, teasing the poor boy.

* * *

"Hey coffee boy, gimme a caramel latte at table twelve, will ya?"

Sora looked up from the sticky table he was wiping down to see a blonde man (what was his name again? Zell?) hurriedly passing by him with a plate of hot food, looking rather stressed. It _was_ pretty busy at the restaurant today. Apparently Sundays were popular at Crossroads, Sora could tell from over hearing Cid cursing up a storm about "Sunday specials," and "senior discounts,"

"Gotcha. It'll be ready in a minute!" Sora yelled back, bouncing across the restaurant towards the coffee bar.

"Make that thirty seconds and we've got ourselves a deal," Zell yelled back at him before disappearing into the kitchen.

He pondered about how exactly he was supposed to make a drink and serve it in less than thirty seconds before he began making the latte, the familiar smell of espresso and sweet caramel entering his nose. Sora had been working here for about a week now, and he was finally settling into his new job. It was pleasant working here, the pay was more than decent, his co-workers were friendly, if not a bit crazy at times, but he liked them. Sora even got a free meal every time he worked(which he took advantage of quite often) He also came home everyday smelling like coffee, but Sora didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet. At least he wasn't sick of the smell. Yet.

Cid was working him like a dog, putting him in charge of cleaning up spills and accidents and preparing and serving the caffeinated drinks(thus earning the name "coffee boy" from every employee who didn't bother learning his name) but he didn't mind at all. He knew Cid was testing his work ethic, but he hadn't messed up once yet and he could see his hard work was not going unnoticed by the older man.

Finishing the drink, Sora walked over to the table and served the latte to a young woman and her two friends before going back to the sticky table he was cleaning before. He continued wiping away at the mess some _wonderful _customers had left him, while watching Yuffie zip around the restaurant taking various customers orders.

_She really is a pretty good waitress with all that energy! _Sora thought bemusedly, yawning slightly as he stretched his hands over his head.

"Waking up before 6:00 in the morning was pretty hard for me starting out here too," Zell chimed in behind Sora, startling him.

"Whoa there, calm down coffee boy," He laughed at Sora's expression, "I need a tiny favor. I've got a date today with this super hot babe in like thirty minutes, but right as my shift ended and I clocked out, this guy walked in and sat in my section. And since Rinoa's running a bit late today, and Yuffie's section is almost full, I was wondering if you'd take it for me?"

"Uhh, I haven't exactly been trained yet—"

"Psh, being a sever is easy man, all you gotta do is take the order and then give it to Barret. The morning rush is just about over and Rinoa will be here soon anyways, and besides, this would be a good chance to show old Cidy that you are competent enough to be promoted to a server," Zell said charmingly, waggling his eyebrows.

"Well I—"

"Alright cool, so I'll see you later little man, thanks again!" Zell burst out, sprinting out the door before Sora could even get two words out. He groaned softly and wondered if he should just ask Yuffie to take the table, not wanting to screw up and face Cid's wrath.

Sora went into the kitchen, trying to locate the spunky girl, but when he found Yuffie she was completely absorbed into work mode, a determined look on her face as she all but threw her order slips at Barret, the restaurants burly cook. Barret gave her an annoyed look but took the slips anyway and began working on the orders. Unfortunately Yuffie looked pretty busy, it looked like she had at least ten tables she was working on.

Sora, not wanting to bother the girl, furrowed his eyebrows together, trying to figure out the best solution. Yuffie looked like she had enough on her plate as is...

"Looks like I don't have much of a choice," Sora muttered under his breath as he wiped his hands on his apron and grabbed a notepad and a pen from the supplies area in the employee's room. Oh well.

He let out another tired yawn as he quickly pulled out his phone and checked the time. There was only thirty minutes left in his shift, and he knew he should finish it strong. Zell was right, serving couldn't be _that_ hard, and besides, it was only one table and he could score brownie points with Zell for covering him.

_I can do this!_

With that thought, he exited the kitchen and made his way towards the front of the restaurant, passing a frantic Yuffie clutching more order slips to her chest on his way back.

Sora looked around and finally spotted a man waiting patiently at a table near the entrance door. He walked over to the table with a bounce in his step, determined to do a good job the first time around.

"Hi, my name's Sora and I'll be your server today. What can I get started for you?" Sora asked the man kindly, staring nervously down at his red sneakers before pulling out his pen and notepad.

_Make eye contact you idiot! You can't take an order from someone when you're staring at your feet! _He berated himself inwardly.

Sora, finally getting the courage to take a look, lifted his eyes from the floor to get a better view of his first real customer.

He **froze**.

The first thing that came to Sora's mind was _green_. The man had the most alluring bright jade eyes, like luminous aquamarine diamonds with hard black irises in the center, hidden behind long, pale lashes. They were absolutely captivating, rooting the boy in place so quickly that he never even stood a chance.

He sucked in a sharp breath, his heart immediately pounding away against his chest. The second thing he noticed about the man was his silky hair, silver in color, the length stopping just past his broad shoulder blades. The man was wearing an expensive looking black leather jacket with a black v-neck shirt underneath, along with a pair of dark-colored jeans. His skin was so pale that Sora could make out the thin blue veins underneath the white, almost translucent, color of his wrists.

The thing that shocked Sora the most was his _stare_. The man watched Sora carefully, calculating every expression, every emotion that flashed across the young brunettes face. His face was completely stoic and unreadable, and Sora gulped when the man narrowed his eyes, piercing right through him as his gaze intensified.

_What are you searching for?_

Sora had no idea how long he had been staring at the man, but his radiant eyes hypnotized the young boy. His eyes were sensual, but undeniably dangerous. They were cat-like in nature, almost _predatory_. His eyes made Sora feel so small, so instantly aware of his domineering presence. They blazed through his own deep sapphire with such a burning intensity that they unquestionably demanded his attention. Sora couldn't look away if he tried.

Sora could feel his heartbeat in his throat, and he swallowed thickly, feeling slightly flushed and warm from such a commanding look. His head started to feel a bit dizzy, a strong warmth spreading through out his entire body like a wildfire. His blue eyes glazed over slowly, and he felt so _light_, like he was about to fall away from reality any second.

_What is this feeling?_

And before he knew it, just as the mysterious man's piercing gaze locked his eyes, he broke the trance abruptly, casually looking out the window to his left.

"I'll take a coffee. Black," The man answered him, his voice a deep, masculine tenor.

"O-Okay," Sora stuttered back to him, before hastily turning around and walking towards the coffee bar in a daze. He was almost sure he could feel those eyes on him again, watching his every move, burning holes into the small of his back. Sora didn't dare look back at the table as he shakily poured the man's coffee into a clean mug.

Sora slowly made his way back to the man's table, placing the hot cup of coffee in front of him, bracing himself to look up. The silver-haired man was still gazing out the same window to his left, and he was almost ignoring him now. Sora inwardly let out a sigh of relief that he didn't have to meet the man's powerful gaze twice in one day. Not wanting to be caught up in the spell again, he disappeared from his table without a word.

He skittered away to the bathroom, barely even acknowledging Rinoa telling him good morning on his way there, hastily tying her apron around her waist.

He walked up to one of the sinks, turning on the cold water and cupping it with his hands, splashing his entire face. The cold water snapped him out of his stupefaction as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, finally noticing how hard he was breathing.

_What the hell was _**that**? He thought, confused beyond all belief. Who was that strange man, and why did the exchange between them seem so...so..._intimate_?

Sora had no answer.

The man probably thought Sora had been rude, just dropping off his coffee without a word. He nibbled away worriedly at his lip, looking at his reflecting and noticing how tired he looked. He really just needed to get home and rest. Maybe he was imagining things?

_There goes that promotion... _Sora thought, rather disappointed.

When he exited the bathroom about two minutes later, slightly more composed than he was earlier(he would just avoid that side of the restaurant until his shift ended) he spotted Rinoa helping Yuffie clean rest of her tables off and called her over.

The brunette made her way over to Sora, "What's up coffee boy," She teased lightheartedly with a smile.

"There's a table over near the entrance, table number five I think, just one guy. He ordered a coffee, do you think you could take him for me? He's one of Zell's left over tables," He asked her almost pleadingly.

"Sora," She said, looking towards the entrance, rather confused, "There's no one at table five?"

Sora whirled around to look at the entrance in disbelief, before rushing up to the table, taking in the surroundings in front of him.

On the table lay two dollars and fifty cents, obviously for the coffee, and, Sora gasped, next to it lay a one hundred-dollar bill. For a _tip_?

"Are you kidding me?" Sora asked himself quietly as he looked at the money in front of him, too bewildered to be happy that his first tip was so great in value. Who leaves a one hundred-dollar tip for a _coffee_?

He clutched the hundred-dollar bill to his chest in surprise, his eyes widening.

Sora stared at the coffee in astonishment. He had just put it on the table minutes earlier, and there it laid, still hot and _completely _untouched.

* * *

**Closing Notes:** DUH DUH DUH! What did Cid tell Ven that made him so on edge!? Why is Tifa so angry that she's running out of time, and for _what,_ exactly!? And who is this mysterious man who turned Sora into a lil mush pot of cuteness!? REVIEW/FOLLOW AND STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT. :D


End file.
